A Minor Incident
by katachresis
Summary: Subaru's new case forces him to work with Seishirou to uncover his own mysterious connection to a murderer.
1. Chapter 1

I've been sitting on this story for ages. Long enought that I literally can't remember if it's been completely betaed. I mean... I think it has, but. So, forgive me if there's a few errors, and better yet, point them out so that I can fix them. I suck at proofing my own work.

Slightly AU, but this will be in a different vein than Haunted was. I hope it's still enjoyable

It had been four years. To Subaru, the number didn't even register anymore. It was just the day that he went to Kyoto, to visit his grandmother and light incense and remember that he once had a twin. To remember that he was once one half of a whole.

One day a year wasted on memories that he preferred to leave buried, but it was his duty. She depended on him. The old needed that connection to the past, he supposed.

So they kept that ritual, year after year. They prayed together and had tea, and walked underneath the skeletal branches of the sakura trees that lined the estate's garden path while his grandmother subtly interrogated him about his work, his life. How was his health? Was he giving any thought to getting married? Wouldn't he come visit her more?

He smiled politely, answered her queries as noncommittally as possible. The day passed, melted into a quiet evening, early sleep on a bed that was stiff and slightly musty from disuse. The next morning he was on a train back to Tokyo.

Nothing had changed from that first anniversary. It was the same, down to the minute that the tea ceremony ended and he shut the door to one of the guest rooms.

His grandmother had only asked him once to reminisce with her, to look at their photographs and the room the twins had shared. Whatever emotion crossed his face at that suggestion had, it seemed, convinced her not to bring it up again.

It was that day they really started to drift apart. She was too bound to the past, and he was determined to forget it, to keep living. That was what his sister had wanted for him, wasn't it? To move forward with his life, not spend it looking backwards.

The train rocked softly, lulling him into a sense of drowsy contemplativeness. He shifted to rest his head against the side of the seat, staring at his hands and the tight black leather that covered them. He had tried, the first month, to go without them. It didn't help.

Gloves, at least, could be explained away to himself. It was too cold to go without them, his skin was too sensitive, having worn them for so long. Better than looking at the faint scars that ran underneath them.

He chose not to often remember the way she teased him about those gloves, the way she painstakingly took measurements of his hands, to be sure that the tailor could create twenty different pairs of them in silk and leather, summer and winter sets in every different color he could ever need.

It was different now. He only owned two sets of gloves, black and brown; the brown bought on the laughing, infectious insistence of a former lover and then eventually forgotten in the back of a drawer, like the other man's name.

He lifted his gaze, watched entire towns rush by like water. It was late by the time he reached his apartment, and he unlocked the door quietly, methodically slipping out of his shoes, hanging up his jacket and his keys. The place was pitch black, but he knew it by heart, moving to the small kitchenette with surety, pouring himself a glass of water, taking an aspirin for the lingering headache. The sensation of blindness, far from being disorienting, was something of a relief.

He finished the water, setting the glass down beside the sink. It could be washed tomorrow. For now, he was tired, even though he hadn't done much but travel all day.

His bedroom was sparsely furnished, a futon and a dresser barely lit from the blue and gold neon that filtered through the dark blue blinds on the window. The room itself was larger than most Tokyo apartments, a fact that made him smile wryly. One of the few actual luxuries he indulged in.

Stripping down to his slightly threadworn boxers, he tossed his clothes into the laundry basket, a whisper of noise loud enough to draw a sleepy protest from a dark shadow in the bed.

He slid into bed next to the other man, settling down comfortably as a muffled welcome back was murmured into his shoulder amidst a yawn, arms wrapping around his waist comfortably. Subaru closed his eyes on the surety that this was their last night.

He turned his face into the other's hair, inhaling deeply, savoring the crisp scent of the other's shampoo. He wondered if he'd remember the scent or the lips that pressed a lazy kiss to his collarbone in a week from now. They had been together for what, almost a year now?

Somehow, lovers never made it past this day.

It was a conversation perfected through practice, and each time it got a bit cleaner, more polished.

People were strange, in moments like these. Some cried, begging him to reconsider, and some just shrugged and gathered their things. You could never predict what they would do, either… the most fragile-seeming of his lovers could be the most nonchalant, and the worst crybaby had been a jail-toughened gang member.

This one was a talker. Not too desperate, but sincerely confused and not quite convinced of Subaru's sincerity. He stayed calm, trying to reason, to fix things, as Subaru made tea and watched him gather his things slowly, trying to delay the inevitable. Subaru mostly toned his arguments out, making vague counterpoints every once in a while, to show that he wasn't being swayed.

The computer beeped in the corner, a soft chime that nonetheless interrupted the conversation, his ex-lover falling quiet. It was one trait Subaru had always appreciated about him, the way he respected Subaru's work. He went to the computer, leaning down to read the incoming fax. He frowned a bit, re-reading it, sitting down at the desk slowly, and hitting the reply button.

"Is it something important?" The voice from the general direction of his couch was soft, hesitant. Subaru nodded, curtly, pausing to carefully word his reply, awkwardly typing it out.

There was silence behind him for a long time, and Subaru paused, sighing and reaching for a pack of cigarettes. "I'm sorry."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"I am."

There wasn't anything else, just a soft sigh and the sound of bags being picked up, a door opened and closed.

The appointment was at a simple, small office, part of a corporation that occupied no more than two floors in a building. Some sort of small shipping industry, though Subaru neither knew nor cared what exactly they shipped.

Ichirio Nakagami was his contact, a bald, round man with a horribly nondescript face and a slightly cheap suit. He bowed several times in the first few minutes, leading him to a surprisingly large office. They sat, on opposite sides of an imposing desk, Subaru taking in their surroundings appraisingly.

"Forgive me, I know this is short notice for you, and I appreciate that you found the time to meet with me." He slid a file across the desk, to Subaru, who picked it up, opening it, thumbing through the stacks of reports and pictures of bodies.

"You said that the murders had been going on for several years now. Who else has worked on this case?"

"Everyone." The executive mopped his forehead with a hand-monogrammed handkerchief, sighing. "The police gave up after two years of dead ends… several private investigators have resigned from the job, and we have even brought in other onmyouji, including one of the Shiozu clan. They have a good reputation, from what I've been told, although of course not as excellent as your own clan."

Subaru frowned, nodding a bit. "I see." He flipped to the last report in the file, a hand-written report of findings. It was inconclusive.

Seemingly uncomfortable with Subaru's silence, his contact cleared his throat, nervously, and continues. "In the past few months, these unfortunate incidents have been escalating and the company cannot afford to allow them to continue. Since this case is proving to be quite difficult, my employers have taken the liberty of contacting both you and another specialist, who will function as a consultant."

Subaru looked up from the file, shutting it with a frown. "Another specialist?"

Nakagami-san nodded, dabbing at his face again. "He should be here at any time, actually. Perhaps you'd like some tea while we wait?"

He nodded, and the other man pressed a button on his phone, calling an office lady to bring up tea for three. Subaru resumed reading through the file, mostly ignoring the girl as she came in, barely nodding in thanks. He waited until she had left before picking up his cup and sipping it briefly.

A few minutes later there was a quiet knock on the door, and the sound of it opening.

"Ah, there you are Sakurazuka-san." 


	2. Chapter 2

Know it's been a long time, and I'm sorry... I'm just not very fast sometimes. Hopefully the next chapter will come out a bit faster, as the story progresses I have more ideas (in fact, I've got snippets throughout, but am missing a lot of bridges between scenes)

Anyway, hope it's enjoyed! Those of you who follow my YnM fic (aka: Trisha), the next chapter of Vespers is around 75 done.

----

Subaru held perfectly still, frozen. His skin felt icy as he stared at the file, no longer reading it but collecting himself. When he heard Seishirou sit in the chair next to him, he looked up, slowly, turning his head to meet eyes with the other man. He stared for a moment before snapping his attention back to their employer, who was talking.

"…zuka-san, are you willing to take on this case? I understand you are quite busy at the time, but we really are in a difficult situation and would greatly appreciate your help."

Subaru watched from the corner of his eye as Seishirou lightly drummed his fingers across the arm rest of the chair. "I would be happy to. However, I believe that is dependent on whether Subaru-kun will assent to working with me."

His employer's eyes widened slightly at Seishirou's familiarity. "You know each other?"

"No" Subaru's denial was calm and cool.

Seishirou answered at the same time, his voice amused and layered with many possible meanings. "Quite well." 

Their employer looked between them, confused. Both onmyouji watched him, impassively. To his credit, he didn't question them, simply continued with a slight nod.

"Of course, I understand that it is highly unusual to have both the head of the Sumeragi clan and the Sakurazukamori working on a case together. Will this be a problem for you, Sumeragi-san?"

Subaru shook his head. "It's fine."

"Good, good." The relief that washed over their employer's face made Subaru suppress a snort. "If it is not too much trouble then, I would request that you begin right away."

Subaru nodded his assent. "I'll cancel my appointments for tomorrow." 

"Thank you." Their employer stood and bowed to them, so low his forehead almost touched the desk.

Seishirou was standing, bowing to Nakagami-san, and Subaru followed suit a bit belatedly. 

As they left the office, Seishirou pulled the file from his hand, and Subaru frowned at him. Seishirou didn't seem to notice though, sliding it into the pocket of the slim briefcase he was carrying.

"Nakagami-san has arranged for us to visit the scene of the last murder."

"When?" Subaru paused at the elevator, pressing the down button.

"Tomorrow morning, at seven. Unless that's too early for you...?"

"It's fine." The doors slid open and they stepped in. The elevator was glass, showing an excellent view of the city and Subaru looked at the window, studying Seishirou's faint reflection and the buildings around them.

Several moments passed by in silence before Seishirou spoke again, his voice distantly amused. "Why did you try to lie to him, Subaru-kun?"

He leaned on the bar, feeling the cold of the metal soak through his gloves and watching windows flash by, almost fast enough to make him feel ill. "I didn't. I don't know you, Sakurazuka-san. I only knew someone that you once pretended to be."

There was a long silence behind him. He could hear Seishirou lighting a cigarette, the paper burning as he inhaled.

"Fair enough, I suppose."

Subaru closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the smoke. He didn't smoke, not really, but suddenly he thought of the pack of cigarettes that his last boyfriend had bought, wondering if he had left it in the bedside drawer.

The elevator slowed, coming to a stop, and the doors opened with a soft chime. He turned to leave, and an arm slipped smoothly through his own, making him jerk slightly, frowning up at the older man, who was smiling.

"I'll see you home."

The last thing he wanted or needed was Seishirou knowing where he lived. He hastened to shake his head. "No, that's not necessary."

"Oh, I insist." The older man's voice was smooth, just hinting at being smug. "You don't live too far from me, so it won't be an inconvenience."

Subaru bit back a sharp answer, trying not to scowl. It shouldn't surprise him, but it did. "I don't need an escort."

Seishirou took his arm firmly again, leading him outside. "One never can be too careful, Subaru-kun, especially in this day and age."

He bit back a protest, not wanting to cause a scene on the street in broad daylight. Seishirou smiled pleasantly beside him. "So, how is your grandmother?"

The trip to his apartment was torture. Seishirou-san had talked incessantly, keeping the conversation light and inconsequential and acting as if Subaru was as engaged in it as he was, though he barely spoke. Finally, Subaru found himself standing in front of his door, having been unerringly lead there by the other man, who never once asked for directions.

He pulled his arm firmly from Seishirou's, who relinquished it gracefully, and unlocked his door.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at six-thirty. Make sure you're ready, Subaru-kun, we wouldn't want to be late."

Subaru cringed a bit, internally, not knowing how to refuse the offer, nodding a little. "I'll be ready." He stepped inside, internally cursing himself.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

He stared at the other for a long moment, then shook his head. "Good day, Sakurazuka-san." Calmly, he started closing the door.

"Don't you think you're being rather childish?" Seishirou's voice was smooth, smugly amused and it made Subaru pause, inches away from the door being closed completely. He could still see the other's shoulder, the folds of his jacket.

The hesitation lasted a split second before he let a breath out, almost a soundless laugh. "No, I don't." 

The door shut quietly, and he rested a hand on the smooth wood for a moment, listening to muffled footsteps recede in the hall. He let his hand fall, closing his eyes briefly before setting his mail down, shrugging out of his jacket, hanging it up. Sliding out of his shoes, lining them up precisely, and into slippers

Subaru scooped up the mail again, heading towards the kitchen to open it, turning on the light and tossing envelopes on the counter. There wasn't much. A bill, a few solicitations. 

One envelope caught his eyes, a plain white one with no writing on it. He frowned a bit as he set water to heat for tea, and reached for it, leaning against the counter and opening it with a knife.

It contained a simple notecard, with two English words in blocky printed letters. It read "Found you."

He reached over, turning the heat off before the kettle could whistle, tossing the card into an empty drawer. He poured water into a cup, over the teabag, going to lie down on his couch, thinking.

----

Six-thirty found Subaru awake, dressed, and reading the paper as he waited for Seishirou. 

Truth be told, he hadn't slept, too busy trying to make sense of everything. He wasn't actually reading the paper either -- though he was trying, he lacked the focus to make the words make sense.

The doorbell rang and he folded it, going to answer it, blinking a little as a cup of coffee was shoved into his hands.

Seishirou beamed at him in a way that made him groan internally. Apparently the man was determined to be disgustingly cheery again today. To avoid looking at him, he dropped his eyes to the coffee warming his hands.

"What is this?"

"I don't remember. I asked for whatever had the most calories and caffeine. I figured you hadn't eaten breakfast."

He frowned. He supposed he was that predicable. 

Seishirou sighed a bit, taking his arm lightly to pull him out into the hall. "Really, Subaru-kun. You of all people should know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

"I wasn't hungry," he countered, slightly defensively, hating that this conversation made him feel sixteen and stupid again. He quickly made sure his door was locked.

"You haven't changed at all, you know." Seishirou's voice was rife with amusement. He sighed, irritatedly, dropping his keys into his pocket.

"Did you expect me to?"

"No. Still, you should take better care of yourself, Subaru-kun, or you're going to die of neglect!"

He shrugged a bit, following Seishirou down the hall, cautiously raising the coffee to his lips and sipping it. 

It was darkly sweet and comfortingly warm. It seemed to steady his nerves a bit, to relax him.

"..Thanks for the coffee."

Seishirou nodded a little, a smug smile on his lips. "You're welcome." 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! It's nice to see a sudden bit of interest, especially just as I'm finishing a chapter. It really helps, and I'm glad there are people who are interested! I do apologize for my slow updating pace… I'm in full-time grad school and work full time as well, so I don't get a whole lot of writing time anymore. Still, this fic is not nearly as large as Haunted, and so it should be finished well before three years is up.

To clarify, for those who might have missed it... This is set four years after the end of Tokyo Babylon. It is assumed X will still happen (at least, at this point) but is really entirely AU (as most fanfic is wont to be).

also, note. this chapter has only been roughly betaed, in order to save a little bit of time. If anyone finds any mistakes, let me know?

----

The latest murder scene was useless. It had been nearly a week, and nothing stood out, nothing to point to the murder being anything but mundane. Even if there had been something, the area's psychic energy was layered over with so much from the activities of the paramedics and police and other investigators that it made Subaru's head spin a bit when he tried to trace it all.

He suppressed a sigh, looking surreptitiously at Seishirou, who seemed engrossed in talking with the investigator who was supposed to familiarize them with the case. He wondered if he should just leave, feeling a sort of awkwardness that he hadn't in a long time.

He ran fingers over the rusted metal desk that they were standing next to, feeling the rough patches pull a bit at his gloves. There was no physical evidence that there had been a murder here, but the pictures and reports spread out on the desk told a different story, broken human pieces of a puzzle.

Unfortunately, there were too many missing.

He finally looked up and cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the other two to him. He bowed his head to the investigator in apology before interrupting their conversation. "This isn't helping. I can't pick up anything here."

The older man nodded, clearly having felt the same way. "It was worth a try." He turned back to the investigator, bowing. "Ah, thank you for your help, Yamaguchi-san. We'll have more questions to ask you later, I'm sure." He smiled charmingly, taking Subaru's elbow and leading him out to the hallway.

Subaru pulled away from him. "Is there anywhere else we're expected today?"

"No. I have the previous case files at home, though. Perhaps you'd care to go over them with me?"

Subaru shook his head, probably too quickly, judging from the smirk on Seishirou's lips. "That's fine. I can go over them later."

"Tomorrow night, then? I could cook us dinner.." His voice dropped, in a parody of a lover's. Subaru gritted his teeth just a bit. His patience was wearing thin.

"I would prefer not. Thank you."

"You really are cute, Subaru-kun." Seishirou beamed. "Very well. If you like, I could drop the files off at your apartment?"

He frowned, suspiciously, searching the other's face for some more meaning to the offer, but found nothing the same fake, exuberant smile. Grudgingly, he nodded a little. "That would be fine, thank you."

----

There was another letter waiting for him when he got home. When he found it in his mail, he stared at it for a long time, studying it before opening it. There was nothing on it to point to where it came from. The envelope was plain white, the address typed, no return. It had been sent from a post office in Tokyo. Subaru hesitated before opening it.

There were pictures this time, home-developed and grainy, but they were obviously of him, leaving or going to various jobs that he had taken care of over the past week or so.

At the back of the stack of photos was another notecard, this one saying "you work too hard."

The phone rang and he answered it, distractedly. The voice that came on was familiar, and when his ex stated his name, he sighed a little, relieved. Nomura Yukitaka. He had nearly forgotten.

The other man seemed ridiculously awkward on the phone. He stammered a little and frequently trailed off, sounding more unsure with each clipped response Subaru provided him. He continued making small talk until Subaru cut him off ruthlessly, asking him to get to the point. The line was silent for a moment, then Yukitaka told him he seemed to be missing a shirt. Subaru frowned, dropping the pictures and the note into the same drawer that the other was in, going to search in his closet for it.

It was there, tucked back into a dark corner, having fallen off the hangar. Subaru offered to have it sent, but the other man told him it wasn't necessary, and that he didn't want to inconvenience the people he was staying with. He'd be by sometime to pick it up.

Subaru started to protest, not caring to see the other man anytime soon, but the line was dead already. He hung up the phone, not bothering to get up, leaning back against the doorframe.

The letters lay, forgotten, in the drawer.

----

The next day passed without incident. Subaru moved the letters to a file, deciding to save them. They troubled him, simply because he couldn't understand what the sender was getting at, or who they were. However, there were no more when he went to check the evening mail. It surprised him, how relieved it made him. Almost cheerful.

The feeling vanished when he returned to find Seishirou making himself at home in his dark apartment, having set out two plates full of food on his small table, two glasses of wine, and a low candle that provided just enough light for the table. Seishirou straightened as Subaru walked in the door, sliding his lighter back into his pocket.

"Welcome home." 

Subaru tried flipping on the light. Nothing happened, and he narrowed his eyes, angrily. "Get out."

"Now, now, don't be rude. What would Hokuto-chan say about your attitude, Subaru-kun?"

Subaru shuddered just a bit, clenching his fists angrily. "Get out, Seishirou."

"I brought the case files over. Sit down. You haven't been eating enough."

"Get _out_."

Seishirou sat down at one of the places, clearly intent on staying. "Come now. Don't waste food."

Subaru stared at him for a few more minutes, before reluctantly sitting down. Seishirou smiled, picking up his wine. "Now, don't be shy, like usual. Eat before it gets cold."

He shook his head. "Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"This." He gestured to the meal between them, the single candle that guttered a bit, threatening to abandon them to shadow. "What do you hope to accomplish?"

Seishirou shook his head, a movement that affected layers of disappointment, sadness, and a tired resignation. His response was light, chiding. "Subaru-kun. I love you. Don't you remember?"

He shook his head slowly. "You can't expect me to believe that."

"I can't?"

"I'm not a child anymore, Sakurazuka-san."

"So you're not." The accompanying look was probably planned to make his heart skip a beat. Instead, it made Subaru want to dump his glass of wine over the other's head.

"…Will you leave if I eat?"

"Tonight." 

Subaru stared at him, in disbelief that the man was being so… disgustingly blatant. He picked up his glass and took a careful, controlled sip of the wine and set the glass down, picking up his chopsticks, determined to finish the meal quickly.

"You will not be welcomed back."

Seishirou laughed. "Subaru-kun, I wasn't welcomed in the first place."

He didn't bother to respond. After all, there was nothing he could really say, other than to agree. He ate quietly, responding briefly to the few questions Seishirou asked him. His doorbell rang just as he was finished, and he set his chopsticks down, frowning slightly.

"Expecting company?"

Subaru shook his head a bit, quickly finishing the rest of his wine before standing and going to the door. "Unexpected company seems to be the order of the day."

He opened it, frowning more when he realized it was Yukitaka.

The other man looked surprised, faintly apologetic. "I'm sorry, Subaru-san, I didn't mean to disturb you…" he trailed off, his eyes going past Subaru to the dim, candle-lit table. They narrowed a bit.

"You're not interrupting at all." Subaru sighed. He could practically feel Seishirou's curious stare, the slow smirk. "You're here for your shirt?"

"Ah… yes." He was still staring at Seishirou.

"Good." Subaru could see the jealousy and anger starting to coalesce on Yukitaka's face and he thanked god he had thought to put the shirt aside for him, picking up a small box from the doorside table and pushing it into his hands. "I believe that was all?"

Finally, Yukitaka's eyes snapped back to his. "Yes. Thank you." He bowed, curtly, and turned to go. Subaru frowned, watching him for a moment, wondering why he had looked so… sad.

Hands settled on his hips, and he jumped, feeling Seishirou's lips brush his ear.

"It seems you really have grown up, haven't you Subaru-kun?" There was a hint of low, breathy laughter in his voice, and it made Subaru tense, suppressing a chill.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He moved forward a bit, meaning to pull away, but Seishirou moved with him, an arm sliding around his waist and anchoring him against the taller body. The other hand slid slowly up his side to his throat, stroking it lightly.

"You let that boy have you."

Subaru brushed the hand from his throat. "That's none of your business."

"Was he your first?"

"Again, not your business. Are you jealous?"

"Perhaps I am." He caught Subaru's wrist, nuzzling his ear a bit. "Perhaps I should have had you myself, four years ago."

Subaru clenched his teeth a bit, angrily. "Are you trying to shock me or just make me angry?"

"What makes you think I'm not seducing you?"

He tensed. "Goddamnit, Seishirou-san. You said you'd leave after dinner. Dinner is over. Go home, I'm not in the mood for your games."

"Neither am I." He shifted, pulling Subaru around to face him before pressing him back against the door and leaning down to kiss him, firmly.


End file.
